Article details best practices for building in storm surge-prone areas

A new article details how 10 homes that remained standing in Texas with little damage after Hurricane Ike, amid the rubble left behind on the Bolivar Peninsula, serve as valuable reminders of how making the right choices for construction techniques and interior finishes in coastal zones can pay off. Read “The Long Recovery Road” in Walls & Ceilings.

About 200 homes once graced the narrow coastlines of the Bolivar Peninsula, but fewer than a dozen were left after the powerful hurricane blew through in September 2008. Of those, only nine houses were move-in ready after the power, stairs and decks were restored. The tenth home sustained roof damage at the gable end that required additional repairs.

These homes were built to the Insurance Institute for Business & Home Safety’s FORTIFIED for safer living standard. This code-plus new construction program is designed to improve a home’s ability to withstand natural disasters common in the area where it’s being built. In this case, that meant designing for the high-intensity hurricane conditions that are known to batter barrier islands.